


River of Paper

by storiesforthevoid



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Angst, Farmer! Baz, Fluff, M/M, Orphan! Simon, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22133230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesforthevoid/pseuds/storiesforthevoid
Summary: There was a boy at the door and I was trying extremely hard to seem uninterested in that fact. Because Father never let them stay no matter their sad backstory, no matter how hard they promised they’d work. That’s just not what Pitchs did.I’d probably already stuffed it all up. I banged on the door too hard and now whatever old sod owns this farm is pissed off and is never going to open the door and I’m going to freeze to death out here and-
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. But the last few pages missing print...

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for Carry On and all the chapter names and the title of the fic are taken from the song River of Paper by Wallis Bird. Hope you guys enjoy!

****

### Baz

****

There was a boy at the door and I was trying extremely hard to seem uninterested in that fact. Because Father never let them stay no matter their sad backstory, no matter how hard they promised they’d work. That’s just not what Pitchs did.

****

###  **The Boy at the Door**

I’d probably already stuffed it all up. I banged on the door too hard and now whatever old sod owns this farm is pissed off and is never going to open the door and I’m going to freeze to death out here and-

He opened the door.

“Hello there boy,” he actually opened the door, “What’s your name?” Oh, I didn’t think that far ahead.

“Well um...you see sir I don’t exactly have one on account of me being an orphan and all and um-”

“None the matter,” He frowns and I know I’ve stuffed it up. “What brings you here?” I have to play this right. I can’t spend another night on the streets.

“Well I can’t read nor write but I’m quite good with my hands and I saw that your fence down there is broken and I’m good with the horses and would do it for no pay at all sir. I just ask that you give me a roof over my head for the night and no longer” I think I’ve rambled on for quite a while too long because he’s looking at me quite strangely but he’s opening his mouth like he’s going to say something and I just know he’s going to reject me and I’m going to die out here and my life will have been useless.

****

###  **Baz**

Father said yes. I can’t believe he actually said yes. Now he’s sent me down to the barn with just stew, a lantern, a jacket and a brain that still isn’t quite processing anything right due to me still being in shock. But I know something about the boy or rather these three things about the boy: He’s an orphan, he’s got no name and that he’s the most gorgeous being I’ve seen in my life. Clearly, Pitchs only accept orphans when they’re bloody attractive and are bound to be the end to there homosexual son’s very short existence.

I open the barn door and walk up the stairs to the loft of the barn and there he is standing in the glow of a candle; no bloody shirt in sight. I gave him a fright when I walked in and I think he’s looking for his shirt and I nearly tell him not to worry about it. Get it under control Basil; he’s just a boy. Indeed just a boy. I maa]nage to still my raging hormones for a moment to actually convey words.

“I bought you some stew and a jacket if you need it,” He looks like a deer caught in headlights. I don’t think he knows what to say and to quite honest neither do I so I find a stool and put the stew on it. I sit on the floor a few feet away from him. He still looks lost. I can’t even start a proper conversation. I don’t even know his name.

“Erm...I don’t know what I should call you,” And the winner of awkward conversation of the decade goes to Tyrannus Basilton bloody Grimm-Pitch. At least he looks a bit less lost and has decided to sit down

“Well I mean the orphanage never gave me a name but some of the boys called me Snow,” Snow, I like that although it seems a bit of a bollocks name for someone who looks like the human reincarnation of the sun. It also doesn’t sound like a first name either but I guess it will have to do.

“Well, Snow I guess I owe you a name now too. I’m Basilton but everyone just calls me Baz.” I decided to give him the short version. No need for another person in the world thinking I’m a prick right off the bat. I extend a hand to him and he nearly takes it but then seems to realise that he is, in fact, shirtless and goes back to looking for that.

“I’m sorry about um y’ know,” He gestured vaguely to himself and goes back to his search. As he turns around I notice a blossom of purple on his back. Crowly, what do they do to kids in orphanages.

“I mean it’s fine but how in the world did you end up with that?” I point to his back.

“Wha-oh that, er, well, um, funny story actually. You see I’m eighteen in a few days so the orphanage is not obliged to take care of me anymore so they sort of kicked me out. Literally” And that’s when I notice the rest of him. It does seem like they literally kicked him out. He’s got bruises all along his back and he doesn’t walk quite straight and when he goes to put on the shirt he finally found, thank God, he lets out a little grunt of pain.

I want to help him and there is probably one of Daphne’s oil things in here that will help him. I get up and start looking in the cupboards. Even though it’s just a barn we’ve had farmhands live here before so the loft’s got some cupboards on the wall and a bed which is just glorified hay bail with a sheet thrown over it. Daphne stores some bandages and various other medicines in here where it’s out of reach from the children. There! I turn around triumphantly to Snow and raise the vile of oil I found, “Got it!” He looks lost again and I think he’s been staring at me the whole time I’ve been looking. “For your back,”

“Erm..”He stutters and I think I’ve lost him again but then he replies, “You don’t have to do that; I-I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with worse” He lets out an awkward laugh. I don’t want to think about the implication of that laugh. God, I’ve known him for five minutes and I’ve already got a bleeding heart over him. This will end in flames.

“No no, it’s fine. I mean it gives me something to do and the longer I’m away from my nightmare siblings the better,” and now it’s my turn to let out an awkward laugh. I raise the vile in question and he nods slowly. “I would sit down. This will probably sting”

****

###  **Snow**

Sting was the understatement of the century. “Alistar Crowly, Baz what is this stuff,” It hurt like an arse but I got through it with much hissing complaints at a boy I didn’t know and trying to not let my heart rate increase more than normal because Baz is annoyingly fit. 

But I got through it. I threw my shirt back on and ate the stew he brought me. It was stone cold but it was still the best tasting stew I’d had in years so I told him that.

“Well Daphne is an amazing cook this is one of her best recipes,” He smiles. It’s small and barely there but I get the sense that he didn’t do much smiling. It was a beautiful smile though. I don’t think I’d ever thought about any of the blokes at the orphanage like that before. Come to think of it, I’ve actually that a lot about the more physical side of Baz since we met. Like a lot. But I don’t want to dwell on it; Baz and I spend the rest of the evening talking about the general comings and goings of the farm, his siblings which he says are: “The living incarnations of satan and should never be trusted,” But how bad could they really be?

I think he’s trying to get me to talk about what happened at the orphanage but to be completely honest I can’t remember much off it. So I try to avoid the topic whenever he tries bringing it up. I’m probably failing miserably at trying to do it smoothly. I probably just sound like some dodgy homeless kid trying to distract from his former life as an opium dealer… probably.

****

###  **Baz**

I think Snow is hiding something from me. Scrap that, I know he’s hiding something from me but we’ve only known each other for roughly five hours, a very enjoyable five hours it was, though still, that is only five hours. He’ll be gone in a week and then I can forget about the extremely attractive orphan farmboy and continue my life aspirations of becoming a homosexual recluse and living up to being a disappointment to my father.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t rile him up a bit first.

“Right Snow, I guess I should be leaving now. Fancy a drink before I head off?” He looked confused for a second and then nods his head slowly. I take my flask out from my coat and throw it to him. He catches it perfectly because of course he does and takes a long swig before throwing it back to me. Time to use those Pitch charms.

I look him straight in the eyes and take a long, deep drink. Something goes feral in his eyes for a moment and I think he might actually jump me before it disappears as though I was just seeing things.

“Enjoy your evening Snow. See you in the morning,” and with that, I turn around and walk towards the stairs but before I go down them a turn m head and winked at him. Oh yes, definitely wasn’t imagining the look in his eyes.

****

###  **Snow**

Baz Pitch is going to make my stay on this farm very interesting. The wanker.


	2. Oh but I could swim in the seas of your intelligence.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snow has a...dream?
> 
> Either way, it wakes Baz up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! I hope you guys like this. I know it's short and kind of cliff hangery but it's all for the plot I promise!

###  **Snow**

I feel like I’m floating. I feel like someone has thrown me into a lake and left me completely alone.

I’ve been here for a week now and I know Baz knows that something is wrong. He keeps trying to bring it up when he brings me my dinner (I don't Mr Grimm trusts me with his daughters just yet) think but I’ve gotten very good at dodging questions in the time I’ve been here. 

He came up tonight to bring me more of that amazing stew and I really don’t feel like spending another night dancing around questions about the orphanage and Baz’s constant,  _ “Are you sure you’re alright Snow? You seem a bit out of it.”  _ I want to tell him, I do but what am I supposed to say?  _ “Hey Baz, you know how I’ve been out of it lately? Yes, well, I feel like I’m floating all the time but it's fine I totally don’t think that there’s something wrong with me and I definitely don’t always feel like something is missing in me. Cool, so how was your day?”  _ Yes, that would play out amazingly. I mean I love talking to Baz, this week has probably been one of the best weeks of my life. But tonight is not a long conversation until the oil in the lamp is nearly finished type of night. I’m exhausted, working on the farm was more work than I thought it would be, so I tell him just that and we say our goodnights.

I eat the stew and strip down to my pants to sleep and the minute I get under the covers I’m gone.

_ My head throbs and so does the rest of my body. I am hot and then I am cold. I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. There is a girl beside me and she is familiar but my head hurts too much to try and think of why. I am sweating. I am shivering. I cannot feel anything. I am dying, I just know it. There is another woman above me, soothing me. She too is familiar. The girl is gone. I don’t know how but I know she is dead. Everything hurts. I am going to die here. Alone. Floating alone. _

###  **Baz**

I wake up sweating and see light shining through the curtains of my bedroom. Which is impossible. The sun doesn’t rise on this side of the house. In my bleary and sleep-deprived state (thanks to late nights with Snow) I walk to the curtains and open them to see what’s going on. 

The light is coming from the top window in the barn. The window opposite Snow’s bed. It is  _ not  _ a natural light. I know some of Daphne’s friends claim to pull off some right bollocks with their, Crowly, I hate using this word,  _ potions,  _ and whatnot but making something glow is pretty far gone.

Even though I think I’m having some sort of weird fever dream, I decided I should go check what’s going on, just in case Snow really is trying to burn the barn down. I pull a coat and some shoes on and walk to the barn.

It’s oddly warm outside and seemingly only getting warmer as I get closer to the barn.

I open the door.

This has to be a dream.

###  **Snow**

_ I’m not dead. Only just. A woman is hovering over me, a different one, trying to get me to wake up. She’s telling me that it’s just a dream. That I'm not dying. That everything is okay. _

_ She says my name. Sssss. Snow. _Simon_ _

_ I’m not dreaming. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know how hard it is to figure out a way that Baz could have figured out the time in a period when watches didn't exist?????
> 
> You can find me on tumblr here: https://stories-for-the-void.tumblr.com/
> 
> Come hang and drop me an ask I literally never sleep so...


End file.
